Pull Down Your Genes!
by Sick Side Kick
Summary: Eric Bondevik is an antisocial junior at Gakuen Academy, an internationally known school for incredibly talented individuals. What will happen when he actually starts talking to his classmates and making friends?
1. Chapter 1

_Gakuen Academy, internationally known for accepting and releasing only the most outstandingly talented individuals from each country in the fields of science, mathematics, art, literature, and history. The sextuplet-floored building hosts a floor for each subject, the ground being reserved for multiple restaurants, which vary in three square ethnic and American meals day. Next door are one hundred dorm rooms to hold a maximum of two students per room. Why only one hundred? We have the best-of-the-best intellectuals under our roofs, and that's pretty hard to find in this world! Consider yourself lucky to be accepted into Gakuen Academy, located right where America began!  
_

Eric Bondevik reread the letter he received in the mail one month prior.

_'Consider myself lucky?'_ he thought. _'Why would I ever do that?'_

He traced his finger over the rainbow-colored transit lines on the map of Boston on the other side of his paper. The European teenager had never actually been to Chinatown, nor had he cared much for exploring Faneuil Hall's gift shops. The Museum of Science peaked his interest in his freshman year, but after viewing each and every exhibit he came to the conclusion that they could have done a much better job at, well, everything. To be fair his roommate _had_ mentioned that it was directed more towards children and middle school students, but that didn't stop him from typing a research paper about his experience and handing it into the freckled manager. Was he allowed inside after? Yes. Would the memory of said woman reading the first sentence and calling him cute before cracking into a giggle of fits appear? Yes.

Eric squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to focus on something besides his third year studying abroad. His boarding buddy graduated in June, so he would be sharing a room with a different student this year. Maybe he'd be normal; more normal than the lanky Lithuanian teen with hair like a Californian surfer who jumped out of his uniform every time Eric opened a door.

He couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at the reminder. A gust of wind lapped at his hair while the letter slipped out of his dangling fingers and out of the taxi's window. Its not littering if no one sees him; that was the first thing he learned while being in the states. Besides, the school sent them out to each student every year, like a reminder that he should be grateful for being studied to death in an English speaking country.

His phone read six p.m. on the dot, along with four missed calls from his brother. Eric had already spoken with him after exiting the airplane a half hour prior and knew better than to call him back this late at night. For all he knew, Lukas was probably already in bed, preparing for a business meeting in the morning.

Lukas Bondevik was a successful twenty seven year old wielding a major in business management. When he wasn't in and out of his Reykjavik cubicle, he was 'checking up' on his brother and clung on his back ostentatiously. He couldn't even go to the corner store without a myriad of text messages asking if he got there safely. That being said, Eric basically jumped for joy when he received the official letter from Gakuen Academy at age fourteen to say that he was accepted into their science courses. The elder almost held him back from attending because 'America is too far away!' and 'What if you're homesick?', but the teen's suitcases were already packed and ready to experience a different air.

Actually, it was more like, "Boston has some of the best schools in the world! Don't you want what's best for me?"

"Well yeah but-"

"Sorry that you were rejected twice-"

"Fine! Have fun with those annoying, prideful Americans!"

To say the least, its made Eric's trips back home awkward.

The European wasn't aware that his eyes were closed until the taxi halted abruptly in front of the dorm rooms. A bearded elderly man with exhausted eyes turned towards him. He mustered a smile and said, "Here we are. That'll be forty dollars!"

Eric fingered the lanyard around his neck and held up the student id attached to it. The driver frowned and opened his door.

"You kids are making me lose business! I can't wait until this week is fucking over with!"

Once they were both out of the car, he watched as the driver struggled to remove his two suitcases from the trunk. He would have helped, but Gakuen students had a reputation of being snotty due to the extravagance of their school. At least it gave him an excuse to not talk to people or participate in anxiety-inducing activities.

The taxi drove off the second the last bag touched the ground. Eric pulled the school map out from his cardigan pocket and scanned the boy's dormitory section for room thirty one. Luckily for him it was around the corner from where he was dropped off, and with the added weight of his luggage he arrived at his door in fifteen minutes. He slid his id into the slot below the doorknob and heard the familiar 'click' to signify that he could enter. Stepping into the room, he heard the sound of something falling onto the carpet and met eyes with his new roommate.

"You scared me! Don't do that!"

* * *

An Asian teenager stood above a still intact potted plant. He bent down to grab what Eric could make out to be an unnatural looking bamboo and placed it back onto the empty bookshelf. After adjusting it, he struck a pose to glorify his work and introduced himself.

"Anyways, I'm Leon Wang. And I'm hoping you're not a hacking murder and just my roommate?"

He shook his head and felt a pounding in his head. "Eric Bondevik. Junior. Environmental science major. What are you a freshman in theater arts?"

"Actually I'm a junior majoring in statistics." Leon was now laying on his self-proclaimed bed and staring intently at Eric's face. 'Great,' the European thought. 'I get the bed closer to the door for the third year in a row.'

"Are you the boy from Iceland with the remarkable jawline I've been hearing about?"

He snapped his head forward to face the other teenager and felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "What?"

"Yeah, I've been hearing a rumor about an Icelandic student with a jaw that can break through diamonds. Is that you?"

"That's a pretty gay thing to say to someone you just met."

"Well I-"

"When did you get here?" Eric didn't mean to cut him off, he just wanted to direct the conversation away from the path it was heading. School didn't officially begin for another three days and he already felt uncomfortable.

Leon lifted a brow at the change of subject. "About five thirty."

"So you've just arrived too-"

"This morning."

His eyes widened in shock. "Damn..."

"Yeah, well, I'm super duper tired so I'm going to sleep. Can we continue this in the morning or whatever?" He was already in his pajamas, or more like a tee shirt with something written in a language Eric couldn't decipher and silk shorts. Before he could reply, Leon was underneath his covers and turned away.

It wasn't long before Eric had his lounge clothes on, necessities unpacked, and teeth brushed. By then it was eight o'clock, well past his bedtime back home. The sound of more students arriving from the airport filled the air outside, and combined with the anticipation of what was coming up for him that year, he wasn't sure if he could sleep soundly. He decided to turn the light off and play on his phone until he couldn't keep his eyes open, but the sight of a blue light coming from next to his sleeping roommate's bed made him curious. Upon further snooping, he saw a butterfly nightlight plugged into the wall beside the snoring Asian's nightstand.

Eric could only hope that one of them had a completely booked schedule this year.


	2. Chapter 2

Eric awoke the next morning feeling abnormal. The clock read seven a.m., and he released a silent curse to both jet lag and the realization that he would actually have to face the day and not sleep it away until noon. He nonchalantly shifted his body towards Leon, only to find that his previously-sleeping roommate was missing. Eric recalled the conversation they had before the other fell asleep, and he delicately caressed his jaw.

It wasn't the first time that someone had complimented his appearance; usually they were directed towards his silvery hair or extravagant purple eyes. What Leon said came as a surprise because it showed that one: other students spoke about him behind his back and two: what they were saying wasn't bad, or at least he hoped it wasn't.

His realization was drowned out by a 'ping!' from the phone on his bedside table.

"Oh shit!", Eric exclaimed. The screen lit up and displayed twenty unread text messages from Lukas. They all read something similar:

"Are you okay?"

"Where are you?"

"Snap me so I know where you are"

He hated when his brother asked him to send pictures. It had to be the most invasive action Lukas asked of him, even worse than the elder snooping through his bedroom while he was away. He couldn't t be trusted with just a, "Hey I made it to the states" text or a phone call. No, Eric had to show photo proof that he made it to his destination, background and all.

With a sigh and a head shake, the teen turned on the app, flipped on the front camera, and turned his body around so the image showed his face and the dorm's closet behind him. As he faked a tired smile and hovered his finger over the screen, the closet door opened. The finger slipped and took the picture anyway, and Eric was horrified to see what the camera had captured, which included Leon poking his head out of the wardrobe and grinning like an idiot along with the expression on his own face: a mix of worry and confusion, his eyes darting to the side.

He sent it to Lukas anyway. Something gave him the feeling that it wouldn't be able to easily take another selfie with the Asian's presence. Eric took a deep breath before ominously turning around and facing his roommate.

"What are you doing in the closet?"

Leon stepped out and pointed to a hair straightener in his right hand.

"But why in the closet? Aren't the student restrooms down the hallway?"

"How many boys straighten their hair in this school besides me?"

Eric jumped to his feet and cautiously walked over to Leon. He flung open the opposite door of the piece of furniture and found a body-length mirror, along with an eyeliner pencil and a cell phone on the highest brightness setting.

The other teenager gave him another goofy smile. "I can't believe you didn't notice the cord coming out of here."

It felt like steam was going to erupt from every hole in his body. Leon must have sensed a meltdown coming on because the next thing Eric knew, he was being invited to free breakfast with him off campus.

* * *

In a school containing just under two hundred of his extraordinary classmates, the Northern European had to stand out the most. The two teenagers walked across the academy's courtyard before eight o'clock, and the early time seemed to have woken half of their peers as well. Eric recognized a few of them while trying to catch up with Leon's faster pace.

The first person he noticed was Natalia Arlovskaya, a 'barely made it' senior specializing in choir. She was known by everyone for almost having to repeat eleventh grade due to how easily she spaced out in her classes. His previous roommate, Toris, had a crush on her and even asked if she would go to prom with him, but her reply came in the form of dog feces in his school shoes. Neither of them were sure as to how she pulled it off or why they couldn't get rid of the scent.

From what could be seen, she was either speaking normal Belorussian or an angry form of English. Either way, it was directed towards an innocent, baby-faced blonde, who appeared to be quaking in fear.

Leon looked in Eric's direction and muttered, "Probably a freshman. They're all short and angelic until they grow facial hair."

"Not if Natalia cuts their balls off first," the other replied. This led to the Asian letting out an extremely obnoxious laugh, the entire courtyard turning towards them, the mentioned woman glaring in their direction with fire in her eyes, and Eric mentally regretting his words.

Sitting under the tree in a short distance by the front gate was Feliciano Vargas. It was odd to see the senior by himself, but he remembered that the Italian's friend, a Polish boy named Feliks, had graduated in May. He recalled the numerous amount of times that Feliks had hung out with Toris in their dorm, but he still knew very little about his personality due to his shyness. The unanswered mystery agitated him to no end.

Feliciano raised a hand and proceeded to wave it in their direction. When Eric gave the acquaintance a signal back, he took it as a sign to get up from his spot and sprint towards them.

When he finally caught up to the duo, he panted out, "Mama Mia its hot out here! Aren't you sweating, Eric?"

Those words made Eric feel the late August heat through his jeans and quarter-sleeve shirt. "What's it to you?"

"Well, I was just wondering~! Its eighty seven degrees Fahrenheit out here!"

Leon butted into the conversation before the Icelandic's temper could get the best of him. "He's just practicing because we'll have to wear slacks in a couple of days anyway. Massachusetts' seasons are like hot, kind of cold, really cold, and a little warm. How are you supposed to dress for that?"

Feliciano cocked his head to the side and nodded. "Oh, that makes a lot of sense! I know I'm graduating next year, but I should definitely try to practice if I come back for school again!" He grabbed Eric's hands and said, "Thank you!" before running off somewhere.

"You forgot to pack summer clothes, didn't you?" Leon queried.

"Autumn begins in a few weeks. I'll be fine." He immaturely puffed his cheeks and released the air. His feet started to lead him away from the scene.

"Wait!" His roommate called. "You don't even know where I'm taking you to eat!"

* * *

Eric was grateful that the patio tables outside were already full when they arrived at the cafe, or else he would have to sit in the heat and die because of his horrible planning skills.

The place Leon picked was just a train stop away from the campus. He had always wanted to try a dish in the quaint little restaurant, but his nerves always took over when it came time to look at the menu. According to the other junior, he went there every other weekend in his sophomore year to study with his ex girlfriend. He said something else as well, but Eric kept asking himself how someone could possibly be attracted to this weird little Asian boy.

It got him thinking, however. Would he catch feelings for someone this year? Better yet, would someone be interested in _him_? There was only one girl he fancied, but that was in tenth grade, and she was dating a blonde senior with stubs of hair bursting through his chin. He had gotten over his crush in February, but he still wondered if she, or _any _girl would compliment his facial features. If he really did have a fantastic jawline-

"What are you going to order, Mister Dreamy?"

The voice made him jump back in his chair. Leon, seated across from him, held his chin with his hands, then covered his mouth with a napkin as he snorted and giggled.

A light shade of red covered from Eric's cheeks to the tips of his ears. "Uh..."

"You were staring at the menu with this glazed look in your eyes. Do you have some kind of fetish I should be aware of?"

His arched his back and let out a much-too-quick, "No! And I'll stick with coffee!"

Leon closed his menu when their waitress passed through and placed their orders. His food and drink sounded like gibberish in the European's mind, and he got surprised looks from both of them when he ordered a black cup of coffee. They started conversing again when she strode away.

"Are you going to Instagram your manly man coffee when it gets here?"

"What?"

"Your selfie this morning."

"That's none of your business!"

"You had my unauthorized permission for me to be in it. I think I should know why you took it."

So Eric told his dorm mate about Lukas and his stalker-like behavior. He wasn't sure as to what compelled him to open up regarding his brother, maybe it had to do with him being the first person to actually be interested in talking to him about something other than homework.

When their beverages finally made it to their table, Leon raised a brow at him and smirked. The blonde caught on to his facial features and pulled out his phone.

"Hey, this diamond-cutting jawline got me over three thousand followers."


	3. Chapter 3

It was August thirty first at four thirty p.m., exactly fifteen and a half hours before school officially began for the Academy students. The end of month weather was making everyone melt into the browning grass, and every student remained in their dormitories with at least two fans per room. The sun's haze made the day drag on and the teenagers think that school would never start up.

"Are you serious? You still haven't picked up your books? I bet you haven't even made sure your uniform still fits!"

Eric let himself hang upside down in front of a fan from his bed, yo-yo in hand. He watched the toy as it spiraled downwards and back into his palm. In an unamused tone, he asked, "When did you get yours, Sir Scaredy Cat?"

Leon put his hands on his hips and furrowed his brows. "Right after I brought my suitcases here! And I told you not to call me that!"

The nickname derived from the previous night; Eric had retired to go to sleep, and his roommate screamed bloody murder when he flipped the light switch off. He ended up confessing that he was intensely afraid of the dark, but not before three sophomores banged on their door at the speed of sound to make sure they were okay. They were comforted when told that Leon saw a spider run across his laptop. The European figured that being under the assumption that he was afraid of an insect was better than everyone knowing that the outgoing, friendly Asian had a psychological fear of darkness, but unfortunately all it did was put Leon into an excited frenzy that continued throughout the night and into the next day.

Eric pulled his body back upright and stood up, pocketing the yo-yo. "Look, the bookstore closes at five. I'll head over there now, grab my supplies, and come back for my schedule." He slipped his feet into his loafers while running his hands over his wrinkled tee shirt and jeans. "Also, I've been five foot nine since I was fourteen, I'm pretty sure I won't need a different size uniform."

He swiped his card out of his wallet and walked out, leaving Leon seated on the desk with a dropped jaw. At most, the teenager must have been five foot three, maybe three and a half. It was a nice change for Eric, since Toris had been over six feet tall and skittish, where as Leon could quite possibly beat the shit out of someone if he was taunted enough. The memory of the latter's morning ritual, yoga with a side of green tea and some kind of martial arts routine in the center of their crowded floor, made him shudder as a result.

The school store was located next to the campus, the location being both a blessing a curse. One one hand, at least the academy wouldn't be a macrocosm that he would live in forever. In the other fist, getting supplies for projects before midterm exams at the end of January wasn't fun with two feet of snow on the ground. Fortunately, Eric was used to snow from growing up in Iceland, but he admittedly wished to be back in the sun whenever he left for summer vacation.

If it wasn't for him needing to collect books and the occasional poster board for his classes, his feet wouldn't step anywhere near the building. Eric was a lover of books, specifically the science fiction and fantasy genres, and contrary to the name, Gakuen Bookstore only held textbooks and copies of tasteless erotica. It also displayed school merchandise and backpacks in the windows, but it was accepted around the corridors that the hot pink and navy blue sweatshirts were tacky freshmen bait; it appeared as if only ninth graders wore the baggy clothing through the city, leading to them being slapped by 'bad ass' sophomores who still believed in freshmen hazing.

Sweat dripped down Eric's nose as he opened the front door to the store. The air conditioning felt blissful on his soaking skin, but in order to not look like a fool who rarely experiences temperatures in the nineties, he trudged forward to the main desk.

Talking to people he didn't know made him uncomfortable. He couldn't even order food at a restaurant without stuttering slightly and forgetting what he was going to say. Leon was an exception since their first official initiation led to him getting an adrenaline rush. The other boy in return started hyperventilating when Eric proceeded to change his clothes in front of him later that day; it was an Icelandic thing, businessmen do it all the time.

As he neared the desk, and mentally prepared every possible outcome, a hand slipped into his back pocket and grabbed his leather wallet. A blush crept onto his cheeks when he felt the hand grip his rear, and he turned around to find his biggest nightmare staring back at him with fish eyes and a flirtatious smirk.

"Hey Eric, how are you?" Eduard von Bock asked. He then yanked Eric's hand and closed the wallet into it.

The two juniors had met in the middle of their freshman year. Eduard had become friends with Toris, who in turn introduced them because he had a Nordic fetish and wanted to know everything there was about the countries. From then on, the Estonian clung onto Eric like a koala and watched him from afar. At one point as sophomores, he pointed out how 'cool!' the teen's thick accent was, and it made him hit every English book in the library to sound less Icelandic. After a while he decided that Eduard was just someone to laugh at, and he was good to have in tow since no one else really interacted with him.

He shimmied his way out of the the Estonian's hand and gritted his teeth. "I'm fine, and you?"

The poor boy could never take a hint. "I'm not too bad. I'm just here to get my economic book! How was your summer in Iceland?"

It annoyed Eric that he had to add his country to everything. Why couldn't he just ask how his summer was? Before he could answer, another question came out of the near-sighted classmate's mouth.

"Why do you have a yo-yo in your pocket?"

Eric had completely forgotten about the toy. He slipped his hand into his other pocket and pulled it out with a cheeky grin, and devised a white lie to get what he needed and leave without risking being kicked out at five. "I got it from the airport in Iceland, do you want it?"

Eduard shook his head, but his eyes became noticeably brighter as he gazed into the purple and green spirals on it. Eric grabbed his hand and closed the yo-yo into his grip. "Keep it."

* * *

His messenger bag was heavier than he expected.

It consisted of a hundred page English pamphlet, along with four textbooks. The first two were for American History and Advanced Placement math, while the other two he needed for his major and elective; Earth Science and Marine Biology. He also had a pencil pouch filled with every writing utensil possible, and five binders and notebooks.

Due to the school's scheduling, he wouldn't have every class five days a week. Instead, his five day week would consist of longer period blocks in certain parts of the days to let everyone focus on certain subjects for two hours instead of the usual one. The bag's weight would vary on the day and time.

The dormitories were split into four directions; North, South, East, and West. Each year, one outstanding senior from each section who excelled in their classes the previous three years would be chosen to watch over their dorm area, informing their direction about updates and changes with the school. They also delivered the schedules the day before classes began, so Eric and Leon were equally confused when he got back from collecting his custom supplies and met Roderich Edelstein immediately after settling back in.

Roderich was well known for both his ability to be middle class and look filthy rich at the same time and his skills as a virtuoso, seeing as he played the piano, cello, violin, clarinet, flute and had a wide vocal range. There was an unconfirmed rumor spreading through the school that he was in a relationship with a Hungarian Literature major, but neither of them brought it up and they stopped sitting together during lunch. Eric secretly hoped that they were romantically involved; the two seniors didn't look like they would cause an unnecessary PDA scene at inappropriate times, unlike half of the relationships running through the halls. As he heard Feliks say at one point, "School isn't a place for dry humping by a vending machine during block switches."

Upon opening the door ajar and seeing who it was, Leon's face lit up with amusement. "Wow," he started. "I didn't think I'd see the day when they'd choose a musician to be a Western Dorm Guard."

The Austrian quirked a brow. "Zwingli's average was a tenth lower than mine. It was a close call."

Eric remained in his spot behind his roommate and muttered, "I bet he's pissed."

"He requested a room change but the principal shot him down. Besides, his sister is here so he doesn't want to make an ass of himself just yet."

"Sister?" Leon pulled the door open all the way to get a clear view of the Guard in his tacky plaid pants and beige shirt. "Isn't it kind of rare for siblings to attend together?"

He crossed his arms and let out a 'humph!'. "Vash is only here for aerodynamics. Eloise is here to major in Chemistry and can speak German, French, Italian, some Dutch, and intermediate Mandarin." Roderich tilted his head towards Leon as he stated this, and the latter replied with, "I'm Cantonese."

"Ah, well, here are your schedules." An apologetic smile was sent his way as they were held out in front of him, but all the Asian did was accept the piece of paper with a plastered grin. Eric gingerly took his before the senior wished them good luck and strolled to the next room. He closed the door and felt a headache coming on at the sight of AP math being his eight o'clock class.

Their bodies synchronized as they both plopped onto their beds in an ungraceful manner. It seemed like forever before the silence an uneasiness lifted.

"Why is math my first class of the day?"

"Why does everyone think I'm from mainland China?" Leon lifted his head from underneath his pillow and checked his schedule.

"What's your second period class?"

"History."

"Third?"

"English."

"Hell yeah, me too!"

He continued to list the remaining blocks, but in the end the only class they had in common was English on the fifth floor. Eric couldn't debate on which was worse; an aristocrat running their dorm, sharing a class with Leon, or the fact that the rumor about all AP classes being changed to the last period of the day was false. While drifting off to sleep that night, he prayed that something would work in his favor.

Little did he know that his wish would be a little bit _too_ granted that year.


	4. Chapter 4

The alarm clock went off at seven twenty.

Eric begrudgingly sat up and turned the beeping off. Classes didn't start for another forty minutes, but from previous years he knew that the boy's bathroom would be unreachable if he chose to get out of bed in another ten. The silver haired teen didn't like getting up in the earlier hours, but it gave him time clean himself up and get breakfast.

With that thought rattling around his brain, he swiftly shuffled his way into his hanging uniform. Leon insisted on ironing his plaid pants and beige sweater vest the morning before, even though it wasn't wrinkled in the slightest. Most of the male students were too lazy to even put their dirty clothes in their hampers, but it made him look more presentable so he didn't mind. Eric grabbed his toothpaste, toothbrush, and comb from his suitcase's front pocket and opened the dorm's wooden door.

Leon was still sound asleep with the covers pulled over his head, either ignoring the noises Eric was making or stuck in a deep dream. Roderich was supposed to slam his fist on everyone's doors at seven thirty and seven forty five, forcing him to get up eventually. The Dorm Guard was white collared and fragile, so he would probably bring a classmate with actual muscle and a boisterous voice to scare most of the Western section awake at the first door. Attendance was mandatory due to the pretentiousness the school held, and anyone caught skipping would be expelled in a heartbeat.

The four Guards doubled as attendance takers, recording who didn't leave their rooms for classes and calling for a nurse if necessary. Eric was reminded of a stomach bug he had in the beginning of his second year, and how the rambunctious Danish prefect didn't believe Toris' claim until the entire front of him became drenched in vomit from attempting to pull him out of bed. Nevertheless, Matthias became more conscientious every time a student told him they weren't feeling well.

After taking his morning piss, Eric found himself wondering why he happened to be the only boy who washed his hands. When he had first entered the men's restroom, the stalls were completely full, but as he waited in line to get into one he noticed that his classmates would walk out and immediately start brushing their teeth or playing with their hair. One boy even hit his friend on the back of the head with his contaminated palm. The sight of this made him even more anxious to start the day, and in a record time of six and a half minutes he was racing back to the dorm room to get what he needed.

As his feet turned the corner to the destination, he discovered Leon's unconscious body in front of the door. Upon seeing the shorter student slumped over, he checked his watch and read the time: seven thirty five. Figuring that he must have been woken by the blonde German culinary student down the hallway with Roderich in tow, Eric inched his way around him and swapped out his hygiene materials for his messenger bag, which happened to be holding just a pencil and his notebooks.

He rarely hung around for breakfast. After the first half of his morning routine, he would grab a cup of coffee and head to his first class, unless Eduard spotted him from across the cafeteria and dragged him to sit at his two-chaired table. In that case, he would hurriedly shuffle through his homework as his 'friend' went on about his goals for attending a college in a Nordic country. Part of him worried that the Estonian would sneak into his suitcase at some point in hopes that he could live in his fictional Icelandic turf house or something, and he had trouble deciding if it would be a tragedy or spectacular if he suffocated on the ride.

It was seven forty, and the cafeteria was surprisingly half empty. In his two full years of attending the academy, not once did he see the food court be anything except lively and bustling with his peers during each meal. He figured that not everyone was ready to start the academic year, and honestly, he wasn't either. Eric came to the conclusion when he slid his identification card through the pin-pad at the cash register, hugged himself against a nearby wall, and swallowed his dark coffee; the liquid slid down his esophagus, and instead of feeling satisfied from the taste, it dropped into his stomach and made an attempt of coming back up.

He thought back to the beginning of June when he finished his finals and left the United States. His plane touched his country's ground, Lukas drove him home, he helped Eric drag his luggage up a flight of stairs, and...then what? The teenager plopped himself onto his bed and streamed every season of Game of Thrones for the entire summer, only coming out of his room to get food and use the bathroom. The three relaxing months helped him lose his motivation for science, and the Jon Snow poster waiting in his suitcase in the dorm was enough evidence to show that. It wasn't that he dreaded his major, it was just that he would rather be attending Joffrey Baratheon's wedding than spending another two years _not _being in a fantasy realm.

A tad bit of guilt meddled with the beverage, but a tap on his shoulder made him snap back to reality. Fearing the worst, he cocked his body around and straightened his back once he recognized who it was. His heart fluttered and left a rosy pattern on his cheeks and he mustered a too quick, "Hello!" to Michelle Bonnefoy.

Michelle was also a junior. She was majoring in Performing Arts, and Eric thought she was the most gorgeous girl he had the chance of meeting. Her tanned skin and honey colored eyes haunted his dreams both day and night during his sophomore year, and seeing her again after the summer break made these feelings invade his body once again. He knew she would never be romantically interested in him, who would? Compared to the beautiful amethyst in front of him, he was just a pebble racing its way through a stream. That didn't mean they couldn't be good friends, since Michelle was one of the only students he tolerated in his presence in the building.

She gave him a cheeky smile and pointed to her chin. "Hello! I hope your summer was well!"

_'Yeah, the highlight of it was watching Joffrey die!' _Eric swept a loose hair away from his face. "It wasn't too bad, and yours?"

"Mine was wonderful! Seychelles is always so warm, so I got to swim everyday! You can't do that in Iceland, can you?"

"No, no." His head shook from side to side and bit his lip. He caught his breath as yet another memory hit him like a brick. It was only a question that passed through his mind, but he figured that it was just common courtesy and couldn't be harmful or intruding.

Eric raised his brows. "How's Arthur? Did you two...keep in touch over break?" The words stabbed his throat as they came out, but at least he could finally try to end this crush before it kick started up and ruined his year.

"About that..." Michelle's tone changed significantly as her head tilted down slightly. "I kind of broke up with him. He was being a little too dominant, you know? And I honestly don't care too much for English literature." She let out a laugh and raced to cover her mouth with a binder.

He couldn't help but laugh along with her. Arthur Kirkland was known for breathing in British authors like they were a drug, and no one could understand how she dealt with him for several months. Natalia joked about the ordeal once, saying that she was surprised that the African girl wasn't quoting Shakespeare each time she kissed him.

The thought of her kissing someone made him queasy.

* * *

It was eight thirty two and the seat next to Eric was still abandoned. He was assigned to the table closest to the teacher's desk in the left side of the room, and the only pleasing thing about it was that it was next to a window. He was the one who brought it onto himself, since he plopped into it before eight o'clock and the elderly professor with a hunched back and thick rimmed glasses had told him that he can sit there, "For now, until I make an actual chart". The hallway outside filled with Axe Spray and a throng of chatter from every direction increased and subsided, and the Advanced Placement math class began once everyone was present and silenced.

Halfway through reviewing the course syllabus, a muffled knock echoed through the instructor's lullaby voice. Eric kept his eyes on the whiteboard staring back at him while the door at the back of the room creaked open as quickly as it shut. The aging teacher clucked his tongue and dragged his pen along the attendance sheet, stopping at the bottom and flinging his arm to the other side of the European.

"You can sit next to Eric. He'll be glad to assist you if you need help."

The chair beside him was pulled out and tucked back in. Still focused on the wall in front of him, he cautiously moved his eyes to the left of his head and almost jumped out of his clothes at the sight of bob-cut blonde hair. When he actually twisted his head to confirm his suspicions of it being the irritable Vash Zwingli, he caught sight of a lilac bow on the side of the person's head and the plaid jumper skirts female students were required to wear.

_'Could it be?'_

The girl shot him a glance and widened her eyes towards the board. Her expression was unmistakeably a mix of shock and nervousness, definitely not something the Swiss would let out.

Eloise Zwingli kept her head down for the rest of the period. The second the bell finished ringing and the students were dismissed, Eric rose to his feet and threw his bag over his shoulder.

"Excuse me?"

He turned to face the soft, high pitched voice behind him. "Hm?"

"Do you know where the room two-A would be located?"

Eric was a good foot taller than her, and he couldn't tell if it was his height that was making her cower in fear or because it was her first day and she arrived a half hour late.

"Take a left and go down one level. Take another left, and it should be somewhere in that hall."

"Thank you!" She rotated and speed walked out the door, a stack of books pushed into her chest.

Eloise definitely was not like her brother, not from what he just witnessed anyway. It reminded him of Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen, the moody and bitchy older brother with the innocent younger sister. As long as Eloise wasn't planning on being married to the hairy Turkish student and pouring liquid gold over Vash, the only thing they had in common with the two characters were their blonde locks.

He knew watching Game of Thrones for three months straight would mess with his brain.


	5. Chapter 5

The next four hours passed by tediously. English with the ostentatious Leon sitting adjacent from was interesting to say the least, since it seemed like the Asian was able to pull of a new expression every time he turned to the back of the room to show his disgust for the subject. Eric sat by the back walls of every class after math, not because he wanted to converse with other equally obnoxious people, but because he absolutely hated being stared at by others who were most likely judging him into puzzle pieces. Luckily, the hidden genius Greek who had obviously started weightlifting over the summer had a similar schedule as him, and he was able to stay crouched behind the yawning peer in their classes.

By ten o'clock, he regretted not grabbing something solid to hold him over until lunch, but by the time midday came around, his problem morphed into something completely different.

Where the hell was he going to sit?

Eric really didn't interact with that many people. He could always find a seat with Eduard, but that would give the same results as joining him at breakfast, except this time instead of scanning through his homework he'd actually be finishing it. Being the first day, he didn't have as much work as he usually would, and he would rather do all of his assignments with a minute or two to spare instead of having to listen to the four-eyed junior spew about himself or his "Nordic heart" for a majority of the meal.

At his stance beside the cafeteria's main wooden doors, he spotted two other Northern European teenagers swinging through the entrance. The only thing holding him back from putting a foot forward and asking if he could join them was the way the two blondes had marched through the sunlit room, like they knew exactly where they were going and holding them up would throw their day out of a nearby window. The taller of the two, who Eric believed was Swedish, emitted a baleful aura, and he felt his body collapse into itself until they were out of his view.

Then, as if an angel came down to cure him of his cowardice, Michelle petitely pushed one of the doors aside and widened her eyes at the sight of him an arm's length away. Eric felt the muscles in his face form a shy smile, but he was quick to notice the formation, leading to his heart quickening in his throat. The girl intertwined her slender fingers together around the straps of her backpack and greeted him warmly.

"Eric! You surprised me there!" She shrugged her shoulders and raised a thick brow. "What are you doing _here_? Haven't you gotten food yet?"

"A, _'How was your day_' would be nice, too." He didn't mean to make his statement sound as rude as it did, but at that moment he felt numerous whale noises erupt from his stomach. Curse Lukas for giving that nickname to his growling stomach as a toddler.

Michelle crossed her arms against her gingham suspenders and huffed. "I was going to ask you that at our table! Now, let's get us something to eat!"

"Our t-table?!"

"Well yeah, I want to introduce you to some people!" With that, she motioned a stammering Eric to the food court restaurants, and after snapping to his senses and purchasing a plate of American education's finest quality fish and oatmeal he was brought to a circular table in the middle of the dining room.

Eric settled into his backless seat and took a few seconds to eye his surroundings. Michelle sat on his left with her own plate of disgusting seafood, rapidly moving her lips and giving a brief introduction of her friends.

On her other side was Natalia, who was preoccupied with twirling her platinum hair and humming under her breath to her cellphone. Then there was the Hungarian, Elizabeta Héderváry. She gave him a cheerful wave before continuing to eat the meat on her dish, followed by Roderich putting on his pompous attitude and saying that the two already met. Feliciano eagerly colored something in with a spectrum of pencils, but stopped and looked up for a brief second with eagerness and determination in his eyes. The quivering boy Eric had seen talking to Natalia, who he'd learned was named Raivis Galante, was continuing to be the personification of the Icelandic's anxiety as Michelle mentioned his name.

Speaking of anxiety, Eric was starting to get an overwhelming sensation in his entire body. This amount of people was definitely too much to comprehend, and if it wasn't for the reminiscent voice of a haunting Estonian by his shoulder, he would have demonstrated a volcanic eruption of his stomach content onto his tray.

"So this is where you are! I've been looking for you!"

Eduard slammed a firm palm onto him. He turned to face the other boy, but luckily didn't have to make up a white lie to shoo him away. He dropped his bag onto the seat next to where his body was beginning to bend into, but obviously changed his mind and instead shot back up onto his feet.

"Eduard," the Belorussian opened her mouth and shot him a menacing glare. Her lips released a foreign language, and the two upperclassmen conversed, her with venom in her tongue and his with gradual uneasiness. Eric looked over to the Latvian, but instead of the boy bursting in tears like he expected, his face glowed more than a child inside of a candy store. She finished her speech with a cluck of her tongue, and the hand gripping onto him let go and hung at his side.

The table of seven gave mixed expressions to each other, and Eric dared himself to see what the teenager above him was showing. Eduard's mouth hung open and his eyes traveled to the tiled floor, his face steadily changing to a concerning shade of blue. Without a word, he yanked at his bag and strode away and towards the direction of the bathrooms.

"That was so amazing! I did not know anyone else in this school spoke Russian!" Raivis beamed towards the Estonian's tracks, but swiftly turned back to the now smirking Natalia.

Eric let out a noise, but she interrupted him with a, "You're welcome."

"What do you mean?" he replied. As much as he wanted to see the boy crash and burn, he didn't actually think it would happen that soon and in a time span of a minute and a half.

"It was bad enough that Toris was hanging around our table every day. We don't need another one of him lurking over here."

Elizabeta cocked her head and furrowed her brows at the other girl. "But Toris was only here because he liked you!"

"Ed isn't trying to enter my pussy, but he just aggravates me. Next time that dickweed enters our territory, I won't hesitate to remove his genitals entirely!"

She rose from her place and moved to the now internally hyperventilating Eric's ear. It was pathetic that a seventeen year old student made him fear for his safety, but her tone was definitely one to be taken sternly.

Natalia's words arrived as a whisper, yet he could feel the wickedness travel through his skull and linger between his ringing ears.

"Let me know if he bothers you again."

His back straightened and he nodded his head vigorously.

"That wasn't funny, Nat!"

"Yeah, what if he's in a stall with a shoelace around his neck right now?!"

The young adult wrapped her hands around the angered Elizabeta and Michelle, blowing words into both of their ears. She stopped and went back to her seat, leaving the two girls shaking their long hair in...was it disgust? At the same time the space next to Eric became occupied by Vash Zwingli, along with the girl from his first period class and another with a Cheshire grin.

The Swiss gingerly placed a carton of milk in front of him, then slammed his fists on either side of it. Eric could tell that he wanted to let loose on everyone by the way his face seemed to concave and royal blue veins stick out along his neck, but in a surprisingly calm voice, he asked, "_What_ the _hell_ did I just witness from the vending machines?"

"Nothing much, just Nat demonstrating why we need better bullying prevention programs in this school."

The older of the two girls retaliated back with, "You're no angel either, Liz! Didn't you beat the crap out of Gilbert Beildschmidt last year because he wanted to ask you on a date?"

"That was one time!" The Hungarian curled her lip inwards and muttered something to a stiffened, pale-faced Roderich.

"Anyways..." Michelle pointed to the trio and finished her introduction. "Emma, Eloise, Vash. This is Eric!"

The shorter girl leaned forward and flashed him an innocent twinkle. "If I am not mistaken, you are the Eric from my math class, correct?"

Her soft, proper voice caught Eric off guard, "Uh, yeah I am. You're a freshman, right?"

A rosy pink spread through her cheeks. "Yes, this is my first year here. I was late to our class this morning due to the Freshman Orientation starting a little bit late. Thank you again for helping me earlier!"

Vash eyed Eric quizzing after hearing about his act, and he felt like the teen's emerald eyes were shooting rounds of bullets into him.

She trotted towards him, and as if her puzzled brother was invisible, stood between them and continued talking. "Pardon my question, but did I miss anything important while I was gone?"

The bell still hadn't rung to signify the end of their lunch, but her question was left unanswered due to Vash stomping his foot and telling his sister that they would be late to their next classes if they didn't leave in that moment.

"Really Bruder? Right now?"

"Oh yes, Misses Stein can become very upset if a student is even a millisecond late to the door!"

"The door?!"

"Yes!" He grabbed her hand and they simultaneously stood up. Eric refused to look in the senior's direction in fear that he'd burn wounds into his soul, but Eloise managed to let out that she'd see him the next day before their lesson began. Emma tagged along with them and said her goodbyes to the table, but by the time their mealtime actually ended, the only person who was in any mood to speak was the still in-awe Raivis.


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

_Greeting everyone!_

_I unfortunately will not be continuing this story, or any of the other stories on this account. After about a year of being on/off with anime, as well as some personal anime-related incidents, I have outgrown anime and fandoms. I would much rather focus on my future and myself, and I feel like writing for Hetalia is weighing me down and holding me back. I do apologize, however if you are sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next in this story, you are allowed to send me a message and I can tell you what my plans were._

_My contact links will be in the author bio profile thingy. _

_Have a nice day~_

_sick side kick_


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